It’s that time of year again! Bring OUR VALUES to life during the 2023 #SealaskaWayOfLife photo contest for a chance to win prizes. The contest begins Monday, July 17 and submissions will be accepted through Friday, August 11.

Storytelling is at the heart of who we are at Sealaska. We want to continue to tell our story from your vantage point. 

Introduced in 2020 as a way to foster connection and engagement amid the pandemic, Sealaska Way of Life is now an annual tradition that brings our community together, encourages creativity and celebrates Native identity from diverse perspectives. 

Over the years, photo contest participants have submitted thousands of photos, capturing what we cherish as Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian people through their own lens — things like stunning landscapes, favorite subsistence foods, intricate beadwork and carving skills, ways of life beyond our region, joyful moments shared with loved ones, children dancing, or posing with a boast-worthy catch after a day spent fishing.

This year, we’re asking shareholders to build upon our core values by showing us what they mean to you in a snapshot. 

At Sealaska, all our success is created by working through our core values, the same ones passed down by our ancestors from generation to generation. Who we are and what we do, from shareholder development, to language revitalization, to collaboration with regional partners, to our ocean health business, is rooted in and guided by:

• Haa Aaní | Íitl’ Tlagáa | Na Yuubm: Our Land –  Our ancestral homelands and waters have sustained and been cared for by our people for over 10,000 years. That deep connection informs our sustainable business practices, leading us to strive for healthy communities, a thriving economy and a reciprocal relationship with the places we cherish.

• Haa Shuká | Íitl’ Kuníisii | Na Hlagigyadm: Our Past, Present, Future – Our respect for our ancestors is what inspires us to keep culture and heritage strong for the next generation while we work to enrich the lives of shareholders today. We chart the path forward based on both our understanding of the past and our responsibility to future generations. 

• Haa Latseen | Íitl’ Dagwiigáay | Na Yugyetga’nm: Our Strength, Leadership – Our shared future relies on our resilience, diligence and action in the present moment. We invest in leadership toward a thriving tomorrow, utilizing our strengths and knowledge as a collective to benefit our people today. 

• Wooch.Yax | Gu dlúu | Ama Mackshm: Balance, Reciprocity and Respect – Our relationships and based on cooperation and care, leading to just outcomes for people, land and water and mobilizing the power of working together. This has defined and grounded us for millenia, allowing us to steward environments rich with resources and relationships characterized by transformation.

These four values represent the submission categories for this year’s #SealaskaWayOfLife photo contest. Ready to capture what our values look like in your life? Here’s everything you need to know:

HOW TO ENTER

1). Snap a photo that captures what one of OUR VALUES means to you, based on the four categories (or core values) listed above. 

2). Post it to Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #SealaskaWayOfLife and tag us (‘Sealaska’ on Facebook, @sealaskacorp on Instagram). 

Participants must clearly indicate the submission category (or core value) associated with their photo. We encourage you to include a short caption describing what the core values mean to you as captured by the photo.

Please make sure that your photo settings on social media are set to public to ensure we are able to view your submission.  

3). Connect with Sealaska on all social platforms that you’re active on — be sure to like our Facebook page, and follow us on Instagram (@sealskacorp), Twitter (@sealaska) and LinkedIn.  Participants must be following Sealaska on at least one social platform to be eligible to win. 

WHAT TO SUBMIT

We encourage participants to express their creativity — there are no particular guidelines for subject matter or photography style. However, successful entries will convey a clear association to the theme of OUR VALUES, in one of the four categories, whether visually or expressed in a corresponding caption. 

Participants MUST clearly indicate which category (or core value) their entry is associated with to be eligible to win prizes. The four categories (or core values) are Haa Aaní – Our Land, Haa Shuká – Our Past, Present, Future, Haa Latseen – Our Strength, Leadership and Wooch.Yax – Balance, Reciprocity and Respect. 

Please submit only original, unedited photography. Submissions must be the photographer’s own photo and should not be altered in any way. High-resolutions images of at least 2MB in size are preferred. 

There’s no limit on the number of submissions permitted for each participant, but each entry must be a unique, original photo. Please do not repost the same photo as multiple entries; in the case of duplicate photos, only one submission will be entered. Regardless of the amount of entries, prize eligibility is limited to one per participant per year. 

ENTRY DEADLINES

The entry deadline for the 2023 #SealaskaWayOfLife photo contest is Friday, August 11 at 11:59 p.m Alaska time. The voting period will begin on Monday, August 14 and will end on Friday, August 18 at 11:59 p.m Alaska time. Winners will be announced on our social media channels and website on Monday, August 21. 

PRIZE INFORMATION 

• Grand Prize: $500
• Second Place: $400
• Third Place: $300
• Fourth Place: $200
• Judges’ Choice: $200 Sealaska Heritage Institute gift card

WINNER SELECTION

Winning entries are to be determined by the level of engagement on each photo submission, including likes, comments and shares. The winning photo will receive the highest social engagement. Sealaska will identify and collect the top two submissions weekly as finalists, eight (8) total, and will hold a week-long ‘voting period’ from August 14-18, during which top weekly submissions (finalists) will be reposted to Sealaska’s social platforms. 

During the voting period, finalists are encouraged to ask their families, friends and networks to engage with their submissions on Sealaska’s social platforms. First, second, third and fourth place winners will be determined by which of the eight (8) finalists receive the highest social engagement on the post of their submission via Sealaska’s social platforms. 

ADDITIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

Participants must be 18+ to enter. 

Photos must be original and photographers must release universal and unlimited usage rights of the photo to Sealaska Corporation. Final photos must be at least 2MB in size. Photographers must also submit high-resolution images to corpcomm@sealaska.com by August 31, 2023.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

No purchase necessary. No automated entries. Enter as many unique photos as you like throughout the contest. This contest is open only to legal U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older, possess a valid ID proving age (winners must sign affidavit of age eligibility before receiving prizes), and personal email address attached to a valid Facebook or Instagram account. To receive the prize(s), the potential winner must reside in one of the fifty (50) United States. The winner may make no substitution or transfer of the prize(s). The prize(s) may not be redeemed for cash or anything else of value. Noncompliance with any of the Official Rules and Regulations will result in disqualification. Sealaska is not responsible for any typographical error in the printing of the offer, administration of the contest or in the announcement of the prizes. Sealaska shall have full right and power to copy, publish, broadcast, display, distribute, use, edit, translate, alter, combine with other material, reuse, and adapt any or all portions of the Entry in any way and for any purpose whatsoever, at any time, now or in the future, in any media now known or hereafter devised throughout the world in any manner. Entry cannot defame, misrepresent or contain disparaging remarks about Sealaska or other people, products or companies, or communicate messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or goodwill to which Sealaska wishes to associate. Entry cannot (a) be sexually explicit or suggestive, violent or derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional, or age group, profane or pornographic, reference nudity or any materially dangerous activity; (b) promote illegal use of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, firearms, weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing), any activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous or any particular political agenda or message; (c) be obscene or offensive, or endorse any form of hate or hate group. 

Each entrant warrants and represents that the Entry: (a) is your original work, (b) has not been previously published; (c) has not received previous awards; and (d) does not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity, or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity. Any Entry that, in the sole opinion of Sealaska, is not in accordance with the guidelines as stated herein, or on any of Sealaska’s social media assets or websites, or is deemed to be inappropriate for publication is ineligible. Incomplete, illegible, deceptive or garbled Entries are not eligible. Any such entrant will indemnify and hold harmless Sealaska from any claims to the contrary. Sealaska Corporation reserves the right to modify these Official Rules and Regulations at any time and without notice. Any modification to these Official Rules and Regulations will take effect immediately upon posting in the news area of our website. Sealaska employees, directors and their immediate families are ineligible. Void where prohibited by state or local regulations. Prizes will be distributed within one calendar year of August 21, 2023, or will be considered void. All winners must provide a completed IRS form W-9 before receiving cash awards. This contest is not affiliated with Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.